Differentiation between benign and malignant monoclonal gammopathy by the presence of the J chain.
Malignant monoclonal gammopathy (MMG) cannot easily be distinguished from the benign (BMG) form in a number of cases. Using two different anti-J chain reagents it could be shown in the present study that in MMG, J chain is present in most of the IgG-containing plasma cells in the bone marrow. In BMG, the frequency of J chain-containing IgG plasma cells is low and not different from that obtained in healthy individuals. Essentially similar findings regarding idiotype were obtained, using anti-idiotype conjugates, specific for the patients' monoclonal immunoglobulins. In one patient malignancy was indicated by the presence of a high percentage of J chain-containing IgG plasma cells in the bone marrow, prior to clinical expression of multiple myeloma.
D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D006942:Hypergammaglobulinemia / Q000276:immunology*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007144:Immunoglobulin J-Chains / Q000032:analysis*; D010265:Paraproteinemias / Q000276:immunology; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000276:immunology
D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007144:Immunoglobulin J-Chains